Wild Party is tame

By Matt Banks     11/11/10 6:00pm

After last year's production of RENT, Martel, Brown, Jones and Duncan Colleges have combined forces again to bring us The Wild Party. A departure from the mainstream musicals produced in the past three years, The Wild Party features several strong performances but is plagued by technical problems and inconsistent acting.Based on the narrative poem by Joseph Moncure March with book, music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa, The Wild Party tells the story of Queenie and Burrs (Jones junior Lilla Pivnick and Duncan freshman Ben Hirsch, respectively), two vaudeville performers in an abusive relationship. Determined to get revenge on Burrs for hitting her, Queenie decides to throw a party where she can publicly humiliate him. Her plan unfolds around Mr. Black (Brown junior Jordan Morgan), the most recent lover of Queenie's best friend Kate (Hanszen College sophomore Nupur Jain). The party quickly devolves into an orgy and emotions run high as Burrs becomes increasingly belligerent, culminating in a showdown with Mr. Black.

The female characters are undeniably the life of this show. Pivnick soars as Queenie. She commands attention from the moment you see her silhouette on the screen at the musical's beginning. Her portrayal of the fed-up, vindictive and heartbroken showgirl leaves no doubt that she is a force to be reckoned with in college theater. Equally as enjoyable, Jain's performance as Kate shows unexpected depth. Her seamless transitions between Kate's identities as the overtly sexual being that walks in during Act I to the motherly figure that cares for Burrs during Act II highlight the actress's versatility and make for an incredible performance.

Even with the power of the female leads, the males lag behind their female counterparts. Hirsch's portrayal of Burrs has its moments; his drunken and delusional attack of a party guest is perfectly done. His crazed anger succeeds in making me both pity and detest him. However, he does not consistently emote throughout the show, especially in his songs. Morgan's performance also lacks consistency. One of the strongest vocally, he lacks emotional connection to the other characters in his scenes. While his moments with Queenie are some of the most powerful in the production, this strength comes mostly from Pivnick's performance.

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Several minor characters are worth mentioning. Baker College junior Erin Dahlstrom entertains as Miss Madeleine True, a sex-crazed lesbian madam. Her hilarious rendition of "Old-Fashioned Love Story" is sure to elicit laughs and serves as a good balance to the more emotional parts of the show. Probably the most memorable duo of the show is Mae and Eddie, played by Hanszen junior Gracelyn Tan and Will Rice College senior Konrad Stoick. Incredible personal chemistry, a comical height difference and perfect emotional and comedic timing make their performances among the best of the night.

Few negative comments can be made about the show's orchestra. A strong ensemble under the direction of McMurtry College senior Julia Botev, the pit's mastery of the jazz influences is impressive and few technical mistakes are made. When combined with the strong singers, the music shines. However, the orchestra drowns out the solos in several of the numbers, occasionally making it impossible to understand the words or follow the plot. Malfunctioning microphones and speaker feedback add to these troubles and detract from the overall quality of the show.

Despite the music, the show's choreography falls short. While some of the bigger group numbers are excellent, especially the Act I standout "Juggernaut," the dances tend to be repetitive, simple and sloppy. Some 1920s dance elements are present, but most of the dancing resembles typical musical theater fare, doing little to set the show in the Roaring Twenties.

This musical delivers in individual scenes; however, transitioning between scenes kills the performance. The musical's transitions are sloppy and slow, especially when the bed used in many scenes must come on or off stage. These pauses become common through the production and, with little to no scene-change music, destroy the flow of the musical.

Visually, however, The Wild Party excels. The set, designed by Brown senior Mike Clendenen, is impeccably done. The slanted, Halloween-esque windows with cracks coming from the corners highlight the broken nature of the main relationships. The stage is massive and does well to prevent clumping during most of the group numbers. The use of white screens was an impressive artistic choice. The screen from the beginning teases us with shadows of the characters before they enter and, when combined with the red lights from behind, makes an incredible stage picture.

The costumes are also decent. Queenie's white dress and blonde wig are a much-loved throwback to Marilyn Monroe. The flapper dresses worn by many of the characters give the show movement and add to the performance's heightened sexual nature. The men wear simple suits, except for Burrs, who dons an eccentric sports coat. While nothing special, the male costumes do not detract from the musical; they act as a balance to the bright colors of the females' clothes.

A necessary warning to audiences about The Wild Party: The show portrays an incredibly violent relationship. A beating takes place on stage as Burrs strikes Queenie, and, while very emotionally poignant, the abuse might trigger extreme feelings in certain people.

An erratic performance overall, The Wild Party has several moments that make it an enjoyable show. Strong female and supporting performances, stunning visuals and an impressive orchestra make the show good even with the technical and acting short comings. Although more mild than wild, The Wild Party is another decent work from the north colleges.

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