[NEohioPAL] Berko review: THE BREAKUP NOTEBOOK: THE LESBIAN MUSICAL (BECK)

[Roy Berko]

‘THE LESBIAN MUSICAL,’ fun, but


Roy Berko
(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)

--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--
Lorain County Times--Westlaker Times--Lakewood News
Times--Olmsted-Fairview Times	

--COOLCLEVELAND.COM--

For a show that has only been staged at three venues
(Los Angles, New York and San Diego), the ‘THE BREAKUP
NOTEBOOK:  THE LESBIAN MUSICAL,’ which is now on stage
at Beck Center, has engendered a lot of national press
and attention.

The show, whose sold-out opening night audience
included the author, Patricia Cotter, musical
originator and lyricist, Lori Scarlett, and the
creator of the show’s additional music, David Manning,
received an enthusiastic welcome.  

It’s the kind of show that should have strong cult
appeal to a target audience
lesbian women.  That’s not
to say others wouldn’t appreciate the often fine music
and some clever lines, but there is a definite
identification with the lesbian dating scene and life
style that will allow for a kinship to grow with the
material that might not be bridged with those not in
on the many “in-jokes” that populate the script. 

The story centers on Helen Hill, a thirty-three
year-old who has been dumped by her long time girl
friend.  Helen is heart-broken, bitter and obsessed. 
Moving on is difficult.  With the help of her friends
(a bevy of stereotype lesbians and her gay fey
confidant Bob), she attempts to get back into the
dating scene, with disastrous, oft-hysterical results.
  In her path toward happiness, she  faces alcoholic
line dancers, an S&M leather dyke, a commitment phobic
biker, and a kooky lawyer.  Even a “Ms. Perfect,” who
turns out to be less then perfect.

The music is more endearing than the book.  The mainly
pop songs poke fun at lesbian life, the meaning of
love, how dyads choose songs to represent their
couplehood, and the difference between lesbians and
gay men. 

Beck’s production, under the direction of Vickie
Bussert, is somewhat on target.  One has to question
the dichotomy between Russ Borski’s comic book set and
the production.  With walls covered with comic strip
cells, many with clever bubbled speeches, the tone is
bigger than life, thus putting the audience into a
farcical mind set.  The production starts the same
way
over the top with the song, “Ghost of My
Ex-Girlfriend.”  Then, someplace during the first act,
the show settles into a light comic tone, losing its
outrageousness.  By the second act, it’s more comic
drama, then comic farce.

The cast is generally good.  Though Jodi Dominick
effectively develops the role of Helen, her voice is
thin on the high notes and, even though she is miked,
doesn’t have the necessary power.  This is especially
true when drummer Joey Scale lets loose like this is a
rock concert, drowning out much of the vocals. Let’s
hope, that as the play settles in, the band will tone
down and allow the lyrics to shine through.

Tracee Patterson gives Frances, the “almost perfect
girl-friend, but
,” the right look and edge.  Her
“What Do You Want From Me?/Your Way of Loving,”
co-sung with Dominick, is one of the show’s musical
highpoints.

Kayce Cummings, who, along with much of the ensemble,
is dual-cast, is totally hot in “I’m on Fire.”  

Eric Van Baars has such a good time, and is so natural
in playing Bob, that he appears to be adlibbing rather
than speaking memorized lines.

When Helen, after avoiding the issue for a long time,
finally picks up a call from her mother, a
side-splitting scene results.   Alison Garrigan
accurately portrays every lesbian’s worst nightmare, a
mother who attempts to be “understanding” while being
clueless to the reality of sexual orientation.

The rest of the cast does a nice job of developing
their characterizations.

The show’s over all highlight is Martin Cespedes’s
choreography.  His creativity adds to the visual
illusions of the script, and stresses the
exaggerations with overstated poses and facial
expressions that mirror the moods of the music being
interpreted.  

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT:  Beck’s ‘THE BREAKUP NOTEBOOK:  THE
LESBIAN MUSICAL,’ is the kind of production that many
will love, while others will like.   Don’t be
surprised if, in the future, the script gets an
extended off-Broadway production.

Side comment:  Congrats to Scott Spence and the staff
at Beck for embracing scripts like ‘THE LESBIAN
MUSICAL.’   They throw caution to the wind when they
pick a script which may be outside their traditional
audience and reach out to a broader community.  Keep
it up!

‘THE BREAKUP NOTEBOOK:  THE LESBIAN MUSICAL,’ runs
through March 22 at The Beck Center for the Arts in
Lakewood.  For ticket information call 216-521-2540.





Roy Berko's blog, which contains theatre and dance reviews from 2001 through 2007, as well as his consulting and publications information, can be found at http://royberko.info
      
Roy's theatre and dance reviews appear regularly on NeOHIOpal, an on-line source.   To subscribe to this free service via the World Wide Web, visit http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/neohiopal.  His reviews also appear on www.coolcleveland.com


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