“An Unfinished Symphony”***
By Elyse Orecchio (guest
reviewer)
From time to time Theatre's Leiter Side posts reviews of Off-Off Broadway shows my schedule prevents me from seeing. If you are interested in reviewing Off-Off Broadway, please contact me so we can discuss. I hope you find the expanded coverage useful. Sam Leiter
I don’t know whether it’s a compliment or a criticism to say that
the New York Musical Festival production of Overture, which takes place
in Kansas City, looks like it takes place in, well, Kansas City. The cast
emulates a definitive Midwestern vibe—not the most polished, but charming and earnest.
Overture tells the true story, set in 1953, of the flailing Kansas City
Philharmonic through a fictional romance that falls flat. If Krista Eyler
sought simply to write an old-fashioned musical comedy from the 50s, then she
succeeded. The production that, reportedly, was successful in the 2018 Kansas
City Fringe Festival lacks the modern perspective to appeal to a savvy New York
City audience. (For numerous production photos, click here.)
The leading lady is Lily (Eyler, who wrote the music and lyrics
and co-wrote the book with director Barbara Nichols), whose passion for
classical music is encapsulated in a beautiful ballad about “her favorite
sounds in the world.” Because she is gradually going deaf, she long ago gave up
a career in music and resigned herself to ticket sales in the box office; she
is happy being on the street where the orchestra lives. That is, until she
meets Christopher (Joel Morrison), who is disenchanted with the music biz
because he can’t seem to advance beyond assistant conductor.
The two begin at odds with each other but get over it pretty
quickly and begin to fall in love. Lily resists the romance, terrified that Christopher
will learn she is losing her hearing. The spunky woman who snuck off to
orchestra rehearsals earlier in the show is now mainly concerned about
disappointing the guy she’s into. Spoiler alert: when Christopher finally learns the truth, he’s
pretty meh about it and even hands her the baton to lead the KC Philharmonic
with zero rehearsal.
The subplot more successfully strikes a chord, telling the true
story of how the community came together to save the KC Phil from going under, largely thanks to the
Women’s Committee, whose cookbook sales brought in much of the needed funds.
Though real-life figures Inda Mae Beaseley, Marie McCune, and Clara Hockaday
(Kay Noonan, Erica Baruth, and Stasha Case, respectively) draw the bulk of the
show’s laughs (Baruth is especially funny), their goofy characterizations
undermine the weight of the tremendous efforts of these women to rescue the KC
Phil through creative fundraising tactics.
Eyler delivers a colorful score laden with clever classical
musical references in the lyrics. Also colorful are the women’s shoes, which I
found myself staring at a whole lot, along with the elegant dresses of the
period (costume design by Joanna Windler).
Full of heart, Overture is chock full of enthusiastic
performances from the original Kansas City cast. If the script gets the tune-up
it needs, perhaps the production will orchestrate a second movement.
The Alice Griffin Jewel
Box Theatre
480 W42nd st., NYC
[Closed July 28]
Elyse Orecchio studied musical theatre at Emerson College, acting at CUNY
Brooklyn College, and English Linguistics & Rhetoric at CUNY Hunter
College. She has worked in nonprofit communications for more than a decade. She
lives in Sunnyside, Queens, with her husband Joe, kids Theo and Melody, and
three cats. eorecchio@gmail.com @elyseorecchio
