Simple Pleasures
50 West 50, a new musical by Bill Felty, is as stripped-down as it gets.
; "BIZARRE LOVE TRIANGLE: (From left) Gregg Pica, Noah Mazaika and Miriam White from PTW's production of <i>50 West 50</i>.")
John Flak
BIZARRE LOVE TRIANGLE: (From left) Gregg Pica, Noah Mazaika and Miriam White from PTW's production of 50 West 50. (CLICK IMAGE FOR LARGER VERSION) |
Some people love musicals for their lavishness, but for me it's often the opposite: Nothing raises the stakes like a few people in an intimate space, creating theater without any extra bells and whistles. That's what you'll find in 50 West 50, a new musical (book by Bill Felty, music and lyrics by Frumi Cohen) that is as stripped-down as it gets — a black room, a few stools and cubes (also black), a three-piece band (piano, guitar, drums) and an ensemble of four young actors.
Of course, the smaller the resources, the more attention we pay to the material and performers. A lot of 50 W 50 can withstand the scrutiny. Some of it can't.
Here's the story in a nutshell. Meet three young friends who study theater at NYU. There's Phillip, who is straight and attached to Sarah. There's Chris, who's gay and in love with Phillip. And there's Sarah, who's straight and attached to the ambivalent Phillip — but is also falling in love with Chris. (You will, too. Phillip is a bit of a pill, but Chris is adorable.) Whew! As the gang navigates a turbulent emotional path, they also decide to showcase their creative talents by opening a nightclub (enter Jane, a lesbian stagehand and general good listener).
At its best, Felty's book has a winning genuineness about it, but it's excessively talky and low-key — also overloaded with exposition. And it intersects awkwardly and only casually with Cohen's songs, which provide character commentary, but do little to advance the action. In other words, what the show critically lacks is forward momentum.
Still, there are some really good moments, especially in Cohen's funny songs, at least three of which are terrific — "Queer in Tennessee," Chris's mordent autobiography; "Maria," Jane's plaint that despite her talent, she was too fat to play the lead in her high school's West Side Story; and best of all, "Love Café," a tart indictment of romance across sexual boundaries.
50 W 50 also benefits from its likeable cast (Amy Acchione is Jane, Noah Mazaika is Chris, Gregg Pica is Phillip, and Miriam White is Sarah). We care about the characters in large part because we're won over by the performers. Felty's minimalist staging is hard on them — without props or activities, there's virtually nothing for them to do but talk — and largely they deliver. Mazaika is the standout here: cute as a button (imagine Chris Noth as a dewy college freshman), he also sings and acts well. If he's not snapped up by the likes of One Tree Hill, I'll look forward to his continued presence on our stages.
50 West 50
Through Dec. 2, Philadelphia Theatre Workshop at Walnut Street Theatre Studio 5, 825 Walnut St., philadelphiatheatreworkshop.org
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