Writers Writing about Writing – A Review of [title of show]

[title of show] is the latest hilarious musical production playing at Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia. It’s a story of two guys writing a musical about…two guys writing a musical. Confused?

In it’s Washington DC area premiere, the show includes recent updates, based on cast member’s real life experiences about the show since it initially debuted off Broadway, and later on Broadway, so it’s been turned into a continual work in progress.

The story surrounds two friends (self described “nobodies from Brooklyn”), Hunter Bell, an aspiring but somewhat goofy playwright, and his best friend Jeff Bowe, a yet to be successful composer, who together decide they want to submit a new play to the upcoming New York Musical Theatre Festival.

But there are two problems – first, they have no idea about what their play should be about, have no theme, no dialogue and no storyline and just three short weeks until the submission date to create something memorable.  The second, Jeff is concerned he might be distracted for the next couple weeks watching the DVD of the first season of the “Wonder Woman” TV series expected to arrive in the mail any day now.

The pair, after not  being able to come up with a good idea for their play, decide to write about two unknown guys writing a musical for a theater festival.

The laughs start at the untitled opening number appropriately titled “Untitled Opening Number”, a song and dance number that, if you have seen any big Broadway musical, will instantly remind you of the Broadway musical opening number formula.

After the two get past the initial writer’s block and start writing the first lines of their make-it-up-as-we-go script, it gets even more hysterical as the two determine that anything and everything they say in will end up in their new play, regardless of how ridiculous it sounds.  So dialogue such as “So this will be in the play?” “Yes.” “And this too?” “Yes.” gets included in the script.

During the 90-minute high-energy show, with over a dozen original songs, Jeff and Hunter along with two female actor friends, Susan and Heidi, who get enlisted to help, assist them to conceptualize, write, rewrite, choreograph and perform their new show-within-a-show musical.

The back and forth banter is exceptionally witty, and surprisingly not predictable. It seems very stream-of-consciousness and free flowing, complete with all the random side thoughts and trivial comments typical to most typical conversations between friends.

And it’s not simply conversations about writing the play itself, but loaded tons of side comments that typically would never be included in a show’s script, such as a silly discussions about ordering lunch and an inside recurring joke about discovering the perfect name for a drag queen.  The script gives the dialogue a human and honest edge and lots of room for humor.

Along the way, the four learn about who they are as performers, writers, friends and a bit about themselves, their dreams and how far each will go to succeed leading to another set of problems.

The show stars James Gardiner as the energetic and big dreaming Hunter, who in real life wrote the book for the musical Glory Days that had a short run on Broadway.  Gardiner’s one-stage enthusiasm and head-in-the-clouds dreamer’s passion is contagious and very believable.

Hunter’s creative team member, the quieter and more down to earth best friend Jeff, effectively played by Sam Ludwig, helps balance the team.  He’s the realistic one with his feet solidly on the ground.

Together the two form a well meshed pair, each counterbalancing the other effectively, while they bounce ideas, inner thoughts and stream of consciousness dialogue back and forth.  The pair passionately express their excitement and ups and downs of people doing something they love, especially when their imaginations start to think about fulfilling their big dream of having a play on Broadway.

The cast also includes two Helen Hayes Award-winning actresses, Erin Driscoll and Jenna Sokolowski.

Driscoll as Heidi brings to the stage a powerful voice that gets effectively spotlighted throughout the show.

Sokolowski, in her role of the somewhat vampish and sarcastic actress Susan, who’s been forced to take a job she hates in an office to make ends meet, has the comedic timing and delivery reminiscent of a young Kathryn Hepburn, ranging from eye batting innocence to bitchy vamp, often while delivering a single line of dialogue.

And while plays about the behind-the-scenes creative process can often get pretentious, self-absorbed or formulaic as they explore the “pain and anguish” associated with brilliant creativity, not with [title of show].  It manages to keep the story and dialogue light, realistic and charming, even with a healthy dose of self-doubt and anxiety.  And even more importantly, it’s not afraid to poke lots of fun at both itself and Broadway musicals as a genre.

Gabriel Mangiante is the fifth cast member (and musical director), in the role of the onstage pianist Larry, who sits quietly behind his keyboard saying nothing until he’s told it’s “okay with the union” if he speaks.  And despite just a couple lines, his keyboard does the speaking for him as he plays both background music and all of the “big” numbers with zest.

The music is remindful of many classic Broadway productions yet the ingenious lyrics are what make the songs fly high. In “Two Nobodies In New York”, for example, the team duets “What if this dialog were set to music? What if what we’re saying could be said in a song?” Then “Hey, that’s not a bad idea perhaps we could use it.  Music in a musical, how can we go wrong?”

A couple favorite tunes for me included “Die, Vampire, Die!” as the cast explores their own inner self-doubts (vampires) as they realize they need to portray themselves on stage.  They later agonize over making changes to make the play more marketable to middle America in “Change It/Don’t Change It.”  Yet egos collide and feelings get bruised over what’s taken out and what’s left in.  But like so many Broadway musicals, will this one have a happy ending?  Will they each reach the success they dream of?

Besides giving the audience a hysterical behind-the-curtain view of the creative (or at times, not so creative) process, [title of show] is a prefect musical for aficionados of musical theater and lovers of big old-school Broadway plays.

It’s full of Broadway trivia, but not too much that non-theater goes will be lost, and a bit of rough language, so consider that it’s probably not suitable for younger kids. The staging is minimal, but effective, just 4 chairs on the empty stage, along with a few props, and Larry at his keyboard.

[title of show] is a hysterical laugh-till-you-cry “hey…let’s-put-on-a-musical” musical. It delivers non-stop laughs, a great story and marvelous performances.

[title of show]
Signature Theatre – Max Stage
4200 Campbell Avenue
Arlington, Virginia  22206  (map it)

Dates & Times – Through June 27, 2010.

Tickets - $30.00 – $76.00 and are available online or by phone at 703-820-9771.

Nearest Metro Subway Station – Pentagon City – Blue and Yellow lines, then 4-mile cab ride (about $7.00). Cabs are generally available at the Ritz Carlton Hotel at Pentagon City.

Parking – Free garage parking is available next to the theater.

Images – Courtesy of Signature Theatre, photo credits: top – Sam Ludwig and James Gardiner star as Jeff and Hunter in the Washington area premiere of the hit musical comedy [title of show] at Signature Theatre through June 27.  Middle – Sam Ludwig, Jenna Sokolowski, James Gardiner, and Erin Driscoll in [title of show]. bottom – James Gardiner with sign as Hunter in [title of show]. Photo credits: Karin Cooper.