author: Anthony Case
Halloween might be over, but that doesn’t mean we have to leave the thrills and chills of Spooky Season behind. CJ Productions might have just what you’re looking for with their production of The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals. The show, with Music and Lyrics by Jeff Blim and a book by Nick and Matt Lang, gained a lot of popularity online when a professional recording of the original cast was posted by the very popular Chicago based Starkid Productions. Now this new production company (with Direction by Sammy Jungwirth, Music Direction by Charlotte Evans, and Choreography by Rikki Howie Lacewell) has their shot to present this show, and they do a very good job with the material.
The show, in the same vein as Rocky Horror or Little Shop of Horrors, is very much inspired by classic Sci-Fi (in this case, alien invasion movies like Invasion of the Body Snatchers) and finds fun with pastiches of the ludicrous plots and larger than life performances that defined the genre in the 50s and 60s. The story follows a rag-tag group of office workers (and a barista) trying to survive in an apocalypse where a mysterious force murders Earth’s citizens and reanimates them into a musical theater hive mind. Even worse, the leader of the group, Paul, has an intense hatred of the musical genre. It’s an ambitious show, and I was excited to see how this new company, headed by two incredibly creative artists, pulled it off.
Before I go into specifics of the performance, I do want to say that this production of The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals is being housed at The Leclerc Theater at Notre Dame of Maryland University. I was impressed to hear that the theater was basically abandoned (outside of some assemblies for the student body) and had to be refitted with a sophisticated light and sound system. It’s a gorgeous theater, and the company seems to have done a great job installing all the hardware necessary for such a task. However, this did lead to some problems with locating the theater and finding parking. There were supposed to be some volunteers helping people find the theater, but they didn’t seem to have enough the day I saw the show. I hope they get some more volunteers to help with this in future shows, as, again, the venue is a wonderful place to put on a show.
Sammy Jungwirth, who at 19 years old has worked on over 250 productions in this area, proves yet again that his unprecedented success is absolutely earned. He serves as the director of this production, and he designed the set, lighting, and props for this show. The original production was already a fairly abstract presentation, but Jungwirth has made the wise decision to scale the production back even further. There is even (what I assume to be) a fun reference to the entirely pantomimed show, Our Town, in the set. With such a talented group of actors, this proves to be a very successful decision. Though there are some moments in the production that seem a bit out of place (one scene that involves a huge, moving scaffolding in particular), this show proves that, despite his incredibly elaborate sets in other productions, Jungworrth’s real strength lies in his creativity. This creativity also clearly applies to his lighting design. While there are some dramatic moments in the lighting design, such as dramatic shifts and a particularly cool laser show, the design really shines when simple and creative design takes hold. At one time, actors hold flashlights to create a backlight for another performer. It’s incredibly effective. The only issue I could see was that actors might want to move a bit more when performing, as they seemed a bit stationary.
Corey Sekulow serves as sound designer for this production, and while it is clear that they are still getting used to the space, the sound effects used are very effective. There is one particular scene with a helicopter where their sound design was absolutely stellar. The effect layered beautifully over the dialog in the scene, stirring some serious tension in the scene. I do wish some of the other scenes rose to that level. Unfortunately, I was informed that a proper mic check could not be performed due to a power outage, and it was definitely felt throughout the performance. There were a few mics that were seemingly unaffected, but that often meant that certain performers were completely drowned out in their big solo numbers by the ensemble singing back up. My hope is that, with more time in the pure show check, those problems resolve themselves.
Tiffany Lynn Zellner and Tigga Smaller work together beautifully as Costume Designer and Makeup Designer. Creating a look that perfectly matches each of the characters’ personalities can be a difficult task for either job. Luckily, these seasoned designers are up to that task. Zellner makes sure to keep the business casual attire that would be expected in the characters’ like of work while also subtly injecting personality into each costume. She also does a great job at finding ways to make the costumes easy to get in and out of (as many of the cat members play 3 or more characters), and has hidden some bloody good surprises in many of these as well. While Smaller’s work is somewhat less pronounced at first, we get to see some really interesting work as the invasion begins. From the tinged lips and dramatic eye shadow to the pretty gnarly special effects makeup, the makeup effects are magnificent. The team even hide hints of each character’s fate in their look. It’s great work.
Charlotte Evans and Rickie Howie Lacewell so a wonderful job making sure the musical moments in the show land powerfully. Evans does a masterful job crafting beautiful harmonies and powerful solos. The ensemble truly sounds like a hive mind, each member finding perfect blend and balance with every other member. The band was a tad loud, but that actually created a very infectious energy that drove the performance forward. Lacewell does a great job as well creating jerky, inhuman choreography. While the movements work well, I do wish she had worked a bit more with certain performers who might not be considered dancers, especially in the opening number, “The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals.”
Xander Conte and Kristen Stickley probably wear the most proverbial hats (at least on stage) in this production. Both actors have a “main” character listed in the program (Sam and Zoey, respectively), but both characters only come in for two to three of the scenes. Conte has an absolute ball playing one of the undisputed villains of the piece, playing the power hungry, sleazy cop with almost childlike glee. His stint as Paul’s boss also produces memorably uncomfortable moments that have the audience rolling, and his military man has the perfect amount of gravitas. Whereas most of Conte’s parts are made to unnerve, Stickley has a natural charm that resonates throughout her various roles. So much so that her powerhouse voice knocks you out of your seat multiple times. Her role as Alice has an innocence that gives way wonderfully to the rage and frustration found in most teenagers. Her Greenpeace Girl and Zoey both hold mean streaks and to-high-heavens riffs behind a bubbly facade. And, of course, both play various parts in the ensemble of the piece.
Adam Biemiller and Derek Cooper serve almost opposite ends of the likability spectrum. Biemiller plays Ted, a mean-spirited, lazy man who seems to invite himself along for the adventure (he also plays a deranged unhoused man, who has one of the funniest sung lines in the entire show). His part is essential to getting us to like Paul, as Ted’s abrasive cruelty serves as a counterpoint to Paul’s more socially unaware attitude. Biemiller is always game for this type of character, leaning into his bullying and making the audience truly hate the man he’s playing. On the flip side, Cooper plays Paul’s best friend, Bill. He gives Paul the human connection the audience needs to really cheer for him, and Cooper portrays his devotion to his family and friends very well. You can tell the two characters have a storied history. It serves as a great release from the more depressing nature of the rest of the show.
Julia L. Williams and J Purnell Hargrove both play characters that hold things close to their chests. Hargrove’s Professor Hidgens is a Mad-Scientist with a flair for the dramatic. Hargrove hams it up in their performance, which had me absolutely dying with laughter at many of their deliveries. Their “Show Stoppin’ Number” is so good, even the characters in the show can’t help but love it. Meanwhile, Williams plays Charlotte, the mousy, soft spoken wife of Sam and coworker of Paul. The voice work she does for this role is wonderful, bringing a vulnerability that might not come across with a lesser thought-out performance. It was so convincing, I almost forgot how talented of a singer Williams is. That is, until the character finds her voice and she belts out some of the most impressive vocals I’ve heard all year.
The hero of the story, Paul the office worker, is played by Eric Bray Jr. It’s a tough role to play, as his acerbic nature might come across as a bit mean. Heck, one character even specifically says he is hard to root for. But Bray Jr. finds a playful spirit within Paul that eases that tension considerably. This allows for his more charming nature to shine through as he tries to explain the IMPLICATIONS of the world the characters have found themselves in, and tries to lead his friends to safety. It also helps him find the funny in the horror, which is important in this type of show.
The most impressive performance of the show, though, would have to be Serenity Mariana’s Emma. Mariana has been trained at more experimental theater, and she really thrives under Jungwirth’s stripped back direction. She only really sings in one song (a female barbershop number with Stickley and Williams), but she does so much work with her acting she doesn’t really need the songs to express herself. She has wonderful chemistry with Bray as well. It’s a fantastic performance.
We are living through scary times. Sometimes, you might need a horror comedy to come through on the other side okay. CJ Productions’ The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals is a wonderful escape from the insanity of real life, and we all know we could use that.
Running Time: 2 hours with one intermission
The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals plays through November 10th 2024 with CJ Productions in The Leclerc Theatre at Notre Dame of Maryland University in Baltimore, MD. Tickets are available for purchase in advance online.
