Tabloid:
the Musical
Shadowbox
Easton Town Center
Columbus, Ohio
* * * * 1/2
by Rick Brown
Shadowbox’s first original musical in more than a decade was heralded
in, appropriately so given the subject matter, with press releases and YouTube
vignettes galore. The biting humor of these delightful promotional gimmicks
aside, for those of us who experienced the hype, this may have made the starting
point for certain character’s development a small yet noticeable liability.
Based on a book by writer Jimmy Mak, Tabloid is the story of the life
and death of celebrity Tanya Michelle Jones (Amy Lay), an Appalachian trailer
park girl with dreams of a glamorous life. She achieves these aspirations using
her looks, first by stripping, followed by becoming Playboy’s Playmate
of the Year, and finally being “spokesmodel” for “Wonder Jeans”.
And of course she weds 89-year-old millionaire J. Harrington Bible who leaves
her his fortune when he dies. Sound familiar? Then again, outside of new technology,
celebrity worship, greed and narcissism have changed insignificantly since the
Old Testament was part of the oral tradition. Ultimately it is not so much the
storyline that makes Tabloid work, but the way the Shadowbox troupe
tells it.
Mr. Mak borrows classic themes throughout the piece from Citizen Kane
(the editor of the newspaper, authoritatively portrayed by Steve Guyer, is named
Bud Orson) right down to his role as office gopher (Carter) tipping the hat
to the Daily Planet’s Jimmy Olsen and his editor Mr. White from Superman.
The interplay between Mak and Guyer is superb, only overshadowed a bit by that
of the editor and the reporter he assigns to the T.M.J. story…despite
her protestations…Sally Dubrowski (Stacie Board). It is Ms. Board’s
character, weaving through the plot on a quest to figure out the significance
of Tanya Michelle’s dying words (E. A. P.) that ties Tabloid
together.
The staging is wonderfully strong and along with the excellent choreography
of Katy Pseicka, makes for a beautiful visual experience from one side of the
stage to the next. And using flashbacks against the present gives the production
a welcomed complexity. Sound, costuming (thanks to Megan Lynch) and an occasional
self-depreciating reference to Shadowbox endears the play to its loyal fans.
While the music is great, the lyrics are a tad strained at times. (Okay, I’m
being picky here…but rhyming “shit” with “it”?
isn’t going to win anybody a Tony.) Still, the theme of celebrity, the
hero worship that some want and ultimately hate, and the adoration of fans with
their feigned unconscious yet inevitable crucifixion of the very star of their
obsession, transcends the Shadowbox stage in enough scenes to make this production
special. Closing Act 1 with Amy Lay singing, almost screaming at times, on the
verge of tears at others, “All I Want” in front of reverent revelers
during the filming of Tanya Michelle’s reality show, is disquieting to
witness for all the right reasons.
While Tanya Michelle’s character develops slowly, Ms. Lay does bring it
all together, albeit with some help from others. Julie Klein’s portrayal
of her mother Danielle is both enlightening and poignant, invoking empathy towards
her daughter despite her anger. Christina Connor’s role as pop singer
BFF Bethany Styles rises above parody and stereotype to make their relationship
feel genuine. In a later scene where Ms. Dubrowski interviews her in a rehab
center, Ms. Connor powerfully projects anger, betrayal, frustration and “lostness”
yet while uttering one of Tabloid’s most humorous lines. Ditto for another
second act scene in which Tom Cardinal (as Tanya Michelle’s elderly and
soon to be dead husband Mr. Bible) flirts with his very young wife. Ms. Lay
and Mr. Cardinal are wonderful here, flirting, cooing and smooching with such
warmth and sincerity Tanya Michelle assumes a humanity that inevitably makes
her tragic end emotionally realistic to the audience. In the midst of this,
Mr. Cardinal utters what might be the best line in the show. Lastly, Pamela
Whitehouse charms the crowd during her interview as the nurse who was at Tanya
Michelle’s side when she said her final syllables and passed on. Ms. Whitehouse
not only gives a memorable performance, but also infuses a privacy and relevance
to Ms. Lay’s Tanya that ultimately makes liking her character acceptable.
With a nod to Britney Spears, Anna Nicole Smith et al and under the specter
of Elvis, Tabloid: the Musical is a fabulous sum of all its parts.
Having veteran members of both Columbus and Newport Shadowbox troupes assures
an audience of seeing the “cream of the crop” of this talented group
of actors, writers, musicians, dancers and stage personnel. This is a morality
play worth seeing, not only for its revelatory relevance, but also for the freshness
and exuberance projected by the performers. And while I enjoy the excitement
of opening night, I’m sure a little tweaking will take place and Tabloid
will emerge as a show seamless from beginning to end.
Support local theater by seeing Tabloid: the Musical for yourself.
The show runs Sundays at 2:30 and 7:30 pm (with the exception of Easter March
23rd) until April 13th.
For more information go to : http://www.shadowboxcabaret.com/