This show finished on Thursday 06 October 2016, and this page is being kept for archival purposes only.

Title of Show

An Original Broadway Musical

Dates

Wednesday 05 October - Thursday 06 October 2016

Venue

Bedlam Theatre

Price

£4.5/£5/£5.5

Author

Hunter Bell & Jeff Bowen

Description

‘We’d rather be nine people’s favourite thing, than a hundred people’s ninth favourite thing.’ Hunter and Jeff are two struggling writers who want to write and act in their own Broadway musical. With only three weeks to put it all together, the show they come up with is [title of show]. A hilarious and touching show about theatre and the difficulties that come with making it, [title of show] is a Tony-nominated tribute to creativity. In [title of show] Hunter Bell and Jeff Bowen write a musical about them writing a musical and, with the help of two of their actress friends, chart the journey from initial idea to debut Broadway performance.

Jeff - James Strahan Hunter - Ewan McAdam Heidi - Eleanor Crowe Susan - Lucy Evans

Cast and Crew

Team

Choreographer/Voice Meera Munoz Pandya

Director Charlie Ralph

Heidi Eleanor Crow

Producer Carmen Marcon

Stage Manager Anna Zhigareva

Susan Lucy Evans

Technical Manager Megan Henry

Technical Manager Stephanie Weaver

Review for Title of Show -

Thursday 23 February - By Paul F Cockburn for Broadway Baby

If you’re a student theatre company with somewhat limited resources, but still want to try your hand at a reasonably successful Broadway musical, then [title of show] is arguably your ideal choice. It requires a cast of four—five if you include the musical accompanist—and not much of a set. Nor do you have to work hard to suspend your audience’s disbelief; this particular musical is all about its own creation as a last minute (well, last three-weeks) entry to the New York Musical Theatre Festival. Its characters are the show’s writer Hunter Bell, composer/lyricist Jeff Bowen, and two actress friends Susan Blackwell and Heidi Blickenstaff. Arranger and musical director Larry Pressgrove also gets a few lines here and there.

“Director Charlie Ralph has successfully brought together a tight, compact team”

This “meta” self-referencing—at one point, the cast admit that a proposed dream sequence is “self-indulgent bullshit”—is the source of much of the show’s humour, but it’s also how its creators build up to their serious point. As we see the show on the increasingly rocky path towards Broadway, friendships are tested and the focuses is on the importance of artistic integrity in the face of “Change It/Don’t Change It” investors and focus groups. The conclusion is that Hunter and Jeff would prefer their show to be “nine people’s favourite thing than a hundred people’s ninth-favorite thing”.

Of course, this amateur production of [title of show] lacks the original’s USP; the cast on the Bedlam stage are not literally stuck in a show playing themselves. However, this doesn’t really matter; an energetic, bright-eyed Ewan McAdam immediately engages as Hunter, and is well-matched by a somewhat more restrained performance from James Strahan; the pair bed down easily as the double act the show needs. This isn’t to ignore the excellent performances from Lucy Evans and Eleanor Crowe as Susan and Heidi, both self-aware of their roles as supporting characters in the show, who only get one chance to “hijack this page of the script” when Hunter and Jeff are in the wings supposedly networking with potential producers. Will Briant, meantime, provides excellent keyboard support as Larry, stuck at the back of the stage unsure if he’ll even be allowed to speak without union permission. Director Charlie Ralph has successfully brought together a tight, compact team; if the show sags somewhat in the latter half, this isn’t because of those on stage, who are fully engaged with their characters and successfully “land” their punchlines with real impact. But—yes, there’s a “but”—they’re not helped by the sound balance. Briant on electric keyboard is amplified; the performers are not, meaning their vocals are often swamped by the accompaniment. Given the “intimate” proportions of the Bedlam Theatre, it might seem odd to mic up cast members barely 12 feet from the rear seats, but given the strength (or otherwise) of their vocal projection, it would have helped ensure some clarity to their vocals.

Gallery

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